Glossary of Housing for the Elderly in Israel

On the geriatric front:

Beit horim (Parents' House): 

These are small retirement homes that can accommodate up to 30 residents and are suitable for independent seniors.

Beit 'holim gueriatri (Geriatric Hospital): 

It is a hospital for elderly people who need complex nursing care, recovery from surgery or specific heavier medical care.

Elder Abuse: 

Abuse can take many different forms, which are not always immediately apparent: neglect, psychological or moral abuse, and even physical or sexual abuse. Severe neglect is a form of abuse: for example, not changing incontinent people frequently enough, which first causes discomfort and then pressure sores. There are also psychological and moral abuses, such as the lack of respect for privacy and modesty (for example, the washing of a resident without closing the room door). Because beyond the acts of abuse themselves, many elderly or disabled people also suffer from indifference. What is sometimes called «passive abuse» takes the form of minor negligence: for example, getting residents up or to bed too early, not answering calls, using the toilet too quickly, serving meals too early, etc. As well as increasing the number of professionals in the establishments, the response to this situation involves a two-pronged action with staff, who must be made aware of and trained in good treatment and receive psychological support if necessary. Abuse can also be financial. This ranges from breaches of trust to fraud and simple or aggravated theft.

Richayon bar tokef 'avour batei avot (Authorization for Retirement Home) : 

Valid license given by the Administration (Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) to the Retreat House.

On the medical side:

Osteoarthritis (Daleket miprakim niyounit):

Osteoarthritis is a chronic alteration of various joints, a kind of often premature aging of the articular cartilages.

AVC (Teouna Keley dam Mo'hi): 

A stroke is a failure of blood flow that affects a large or small area of the brain. It occurs when a blood vessel becomes blocked or ruptures, causing the death of nerve cells, which are deprived of the oxygen and nutrients essential for their function. In most people, there are no warning signs of a seizure. However, there are several risk factors that can be monitored. The consequences of stroke vary widely. More than half of the people who have a stroke have some after-effects. About 1 in 10 people recover completely. The severity of the damage depends on the area of the brain affected and the functions it controls. The larger the area deprived of oxygen, the more severe the damage is likely to be. Following a stroke, some people will have difficulty speaking or writing (aphasia) and memory problems. They may also experience varying degrees of paralysis.

Dementia (Dementsia):

Dementia is a serious loss or reduction in cognitive ability that is significant enough to affect an individual's life and result in a loss of independence. The brain functions particularly affected may be memory, attention, and language. It may be temporary, following a major brain injury, or a long-term psychological decline.

Occupational Therapist: 

Occupational therapists are health care professionals who assess and treat people in order to preserve and develop their independence and autonomy in their daily and social environment. In most cases, occupational therapists work in collaboration with physiotherapists, physicians, nurses, psychologists and social workers.

Pressure sore (Petsa' la'hats): 

A pressure sore is a wound caused by a suppression of the blood supply to the tissue. Healing is not spontaneous. A pressure sore can take several forms of varying severity: a simple redness lasting more than a day, an induration of the skin, a more or less deep wound that can, in serious cases, reach the muscles or the underlying bone. The occurrence of a pressure sore is favored in people who are bedridden for a long time. It is also favored by states of malnutrition and dehydration, as well as by fever. Prevention by the nursing staff is a determining factor in this process. A few hours are enough for it to appear, and the factors favoring it must be reduced and regularly controlled. The healing time of a pressure sore can vary from a few days to a few months; prevention therefore plays an essential role in the person at risk. To prevent the appearance of pressure sores, a series of measures must be adopted: maintain skin hygiene and avoid maceration; in the case of incontinence, regularly change the protection; observe or have the skin condition observed daily; make sure that the diet is sufficient and adapted; drink or have someone drink regularly and in sufficient quantity; use mattresses and cushions known as "pressure sore prevention aids» adapted to the patient's condition; change the person's position frequently (at least every 2 to 3 hours).

Femoral neck fracture (Chever Tsavar Heyrekh): 

It occurs mostly after the age of 60 and can have serious consequences if not properly managed. Fractures of the neck of the femur are getting better and better, but they should raise the alarm about the patient's bone condition. The neck of the femur refers to the top of this thigh bone, where it joins the pelvis. A fracture occurs when this bone is broken as a result of trauma. Fractures of the neck of the femur mainly affect people over 60 years old. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 people are affected each year in France. One third of people aged 90 and over have suffered or will one day suffer such a fracture. It is particularly frequent in women. Fractures of the neck of the femur usually occur after a trauma. In the elderly, it can be quite minor; it is most often a simple fall from one's own height. If the bone breaks so easily, it is often because of osteoporosis, which appears after the menopause: the bones have more difficulty than before to fix calcium and become fragile, thus breaking easily at the slightest impact. The head of the femur is already more fragile than the rest of the skeleton in normal circumstances and becomes even more vulnerable. The first and most obvious symptom is of course the very sharp pain in the upper thigh and pelvis. The victim cannot walk. Sometimes the leg is deformed in the pelvis. In addition to the clinical examination, the doctor will be able to confirm and specify the diagnosis thanks to an X-ray. This will help determine the exact location of the fracture. Treatment is almost always surgical. Several options exist:
- Installation of a partial or total hip prosthesis. This consists of replacing the femoral pelvis joint with artificial metal "bones". The operation is often performed under epidural, sometimes under general anesthesia. This is the most common solution, especially for the elderly, whose bones do not repair themselves as quickly.
- Osteosynthesis consists of placing nails, screws and sometimes plates to stabilize the fracture, which will then consolidate by itself. It is recommended for active people with a good prognosis.

Hemiplegia (Bchitouk): 

A hemiplegia is a paralysis of one or more parts of the body on one side (affecting one hemi-body). The recovery of walking, movement of an arm, elbow or shoulder, speech, and comprehension depend to a great extent on the age of the patient and the damage to the brain. The elderly person will have more difficulties at this level. The malleability factor (cerebral plasticity) of the brain plays a very important role here.

Incontinence (Bri'hat Cheten):

Urinary incontinence is defined as the accidental or involuntary loss of urine. This condition affects both men and women, and the cause is often multifactorial. Urinary incontinence can be caused by age, anxiety, obesity, neurological disorders, infection (cystitis), prolapse, or relaxation of the sphincter or pelvic floor muscles following abdominal surgery. Surgery to remove the prostate gland (prostatectomy) can be complicated by incontinence. Smoking and caffeine abuse seem to be predisposing factors.

Alzheimer's Disease (Altseimer):

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disease of the brain tissue that leads to the progressive and irreversible loss of mental functions, particularly memory. It was first described by the German physician Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915). The main cause of dementia in the elderly, it affected approximately 26 million people worldwide in 2005 and could affect four times that number by 2050, according to the article »Global prevalence of dementia: a Delphi consensus study".

Parkinson's Disease (Ratetet): 

Parkinson's disease is a chronic degenerative neurological disease affecting the central nervous system and responsible for essentially motor disorders of progressive evolution. Its causes are not well known. The disease usually begins between the ages of 45 and 70. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease.

Miv'han ADL (ADL Test): 

These are the first letters of «Activities of Daily Living». This test examines the elderly person's ability to perform 6 activities of daily living: getting up and down, dressing, bathing, eating, eliminating with continence and moving around.

Miv'han Mini Mental (MMSE Test) :

This test estimates the level of dementia in the older person with a 3 out of 30 point annual decline. It asks simple questions such as «what day is it today?», «what time is it about?» etc. A healthy person usually scores at least 29 points.

Siyoudi (Requiring Nursing Care): 

An elderly person who cannot perform 4 of the 6 activities of daily living (getting up and down, dressing, bathing, feeding, eliminating with continence and moving around) is considered to require Nursing Care. 

Main sources: www.passeportsante.net, Wikipedia

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Glossary of Retirement Homes in Israel - Avot Israel